Method and apparatus for managing domain

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for managing domains are provided. The method of managing one or more domains performed by a domain manager located in a home network includes determining whether to register a first device located in the home network to a domain, and providing data required to share content between the first device and a second device registered to the domain according to the determination. In the method and apparatus, content can be shared by connecting the devices with one another including a user, and the burden of content providers for management can be reduced.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a conventional method of sharing content in a home network;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a system including a domain manager according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of the domain manager of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method of managing domains according to an embodiment of the present invention including processes of domain generation, member registration, and data transfer;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a data update process included in a method of managing domains according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a flowchart of a method of managing domains providing secure time according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a method of managing domains providing a device revocation list according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a deregistering process included in a method of managing domains according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of managing one or more domains by a domain manager located in a home network, comprising: determining whether to register a first device located in the home network to a domain; andproviding data required for sharing content between the first device and a second device registered to the domain according to the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, registering the domain manager with the domain.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a proximity check of the first device, wherein the determining of the registration of the first device is based on the proximity check.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises information on domain membership validity indicating valid qualification as a device registered to the domain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a domain key used for decoding the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, providing information on the managed domains to one or more devices located in the home network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the data and informing registered devices of the update.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting a change in the devices registered to the domain or a security risk and determining whether to update the data according to the detection.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the updated data in response to a request of the devices which have been informed of the update.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing security data comprising at least one of a secure time and a device revocation list to devices registered to the domain, wherein the secure time is time information which is a reference for calculating a valid time of content in the domain, andwherein the device revocation list is information on revoked devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing of the security data comprises: receiving a request for the security data from a registered device; andproviding the security data to the registered device which has requested the security data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing of the security data comprises: determining whether the security data of devices registered to each domain is the most current; andproviding the most current security data to one or more devices which do not have the latest security data, when it is determined that there are one or more devices which do not have the most current security data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing stored device information on a device in response to a request to deregister the device from the domain and updating data required to share content in the domain.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising limiting the number of registered devices to each domain or the number of domains to which each device is registered to a predetermined number.

15. An apparatus for managing one or more domains located in a home network, the device comprising a domain data providing unit determining whether to register a first device located in the home network to a domain and providing data required to share content between the first device and a second device registered to the domain according to the determination.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a proximity check unit performing a proximity check of the first device, wherein the domain data providing unit determines whether to register the first device according to the proximity check.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a domain information providing unit providing information on the managed domains to one or more devices located in the home network.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the domain data providing unit updates the data and informs registered devices of the update.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a security data providing unit providing security data comprising at least one of a secure time and a device revocation list to devices registered to the domain, wherein the secure time is time information which is a reference for calculating a valid time of content in the domain, andwherein the device revocation list is information on revoked devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a device information storage unit storing device information on the registered devices, wherein the domain data providing unit removes stored device information on a device in response to a request to deregister the device from the domain and updates data required to share content in the domain.

21. A computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a computer program for the method of claim 1.

22. A method of registering a device with a domain, the method comprising: requesting domain information to a domain information providing unit of the domain;receiving the domain information from the domain information providing unit;requesting registration of the device with the domain to a domain data providing unit using the domain information; andreceiving a domain key of the domain from the domain information providing unit.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the domain information comprises: a domain identifier; andinformation on the location of the domain data providing unit of a domain corresponding to the domain identifier.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the domain information further comprises: a domain policy identifier of the domain corresponding to the domain identifier; anduser information.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing device information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the device information comprises: a device identifier; anddomain membership validity information of the device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the domain membership validity information indicates a valid term for which the device is validated as a member of the domain.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising checking a proximity of the device and the domain data providing unit.

29. A method of registering a device with a domain, the method comprising: receiving a request for domain information from the device;transmitting the domain information to the device;receiving a request of registration with the domain from the device;measuring a physical distance between the device and the domain; andtransmitting a domain key of the domain to the device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the domain information is transmitted by a domain information providing unit, and the domain key is provided by a domain data providing unit.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the domain information comprises: a domain identifier; andinformation on the location of the domain data providing unit of a domain corresponding to the domain identifier.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the domain information further comprises: a domain policy identifier of the domain corresponding to the domain identifier; anduser information.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising storing device information.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the device information comprises: a device identifier; anddomain membership validity information of the device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the domain membership validity information indicates a valid term for which the device is validated as a member of the domain.

36. A method of generating content that is usable in a domain, the method comprising: requesting a secure time to a security data providing unit of the domain;receiving the secure time; andsetting the secure time as a point of time at which the content that is usable in the domain is generated.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising: requesting a device revocation list of the domain; andcontrolling the generation of the content according to the device revocation list of the domain.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising stopping the generation of the content when the device revocation list includes information on the device which generates the content.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising requesting a domain key for encrypting the content.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising encrypting the encryption key of the content using the domain key.

41. A method of generating content, the method comprising: receiving a request for a secure time, which is a point of time at which content that is usable in a domain is generated, from a device which is a member of the domain;receiving a request for a device revocation list, which includes information on a device which is not a member of the domain, from the device which is a member of the domain; andproviding the device revocation list.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising: receiving a request for a domain key of the domain; andtransmitting the domain key.